Double zippered garments



June 10, 1969 G. MILONE DOUBLE ZIPPERED GARMENTS Filed July 5, 1967 INVENTOR GAETANO MILONE United States Patent 3,448,463 DOUBLE ZIPPERED GARMENTS Gaetano Miloue, 2220 9th Ave., Rockford, Ill. 61108 Filed July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 650,761 Int. Cl. A41d 1/06, 13/02 US. Cl. 2-234 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-zippered garment, such as mens trousers, having the two zippers disposed substantially vertical, one behind the other but offset laterally in substantially parallel relationship longitudinally of the fly to avoid overlapping with consequent objectionable thickness and also offset endwise for a similar reason, the sliders on the two zippers being interconnected by a flexible loop to enable simultaneous opening or closing of the zippers, the loop also permitting locking of the two zippers in closed position by engagement of the loop over the top button on the front of the garment. The same idea is applicable to ladies skirts with little or no substantial change.

This invention relates to double zippered garments, and, more particularly, mens trousers.

Tailors have frequent calls to replace zippers in trousers having the conventional single zipper or slide fastener. Apparently, where the trousers fit rather snugly across the rnidriff, especially in stouter men or medium stout the ordinary single zipper is not equal to the strain and wear and tear imposed thereon. It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide two zippers, the sliders of which are preferably connected together by an operating loop of flexible material for their simultaneous operation in opening or closing the fly. To make the provision of two substantially vertical zippers, one behind the other, practical by avoiding too much thickness at any critical point, one zipper is offset laterally relative to the other its full width and also longitudinally a certain amount, bringing the lower end of one at or slightly below the crotch and the lower end of the other slightly above the crotch. Furthermore, in order to avoid any likelihood of the operating loop being left loose and being objectionable by projecting from the fly it is preferred to have the same looped over the top button on the front so that it is neatly concealed when the fly is closed, thereby utilizing the button and loop together for another function, namely that of locking the zippers closed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the fly portion of a pair of mens trousers, showing the fly partially opened to reveal the double zipper closure of my invention with the loop connecting the two sliders extending substantially horizontally forwardly in approximately the position of operation, when the forefinger is inserted in the loop, with the thumb placed above it, and the middle finger below it;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the lower portion of the fly showing the outer flap of the fly folded back enough to reveal the lower portion of the outer one of the two zippers which ends slightly above the crotch and showing the other zipper in dotted lines behind it and laterally offset with respect thereto and terminating slightly below the crotch;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the upper end portion of the fly with the outer flap of the fly broken away to enable better illustration of how the loop attached at its opposite ends of the two links that are pivotally connected to the two sliders is looped over the top front button, in accordance with the present invention, and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section on the line 44 of FIG. 1.

The same reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numerals 5 and 6 designate two sliders for the two zippers or slide fasteners 7 and 8, respectively, provided in accordance with my invention on a pair of mens trousers, only the fly portion 9 of which is shown, the left front portion 10 having a button hole 11 at the top or waist portion 12 to receive the button 13 on the right front portion 14 at the top or belt portion 15. The front zipper or slide fastener 7 has the usual pair of cloth stringers 16, each carrying the usual row of spaced fastener members 17 of the type usually employed in slide fasteners and which are adapted to be locked together by movement of the slider 5. The other zipper or slide fastener 8 behind 7 also comprises a pair of cloth stringers 18 each carrying on its outer longitudinal edge a row of spaced fastener members 19 adapted to be coupled or locked together by movement of the slider 6, movement of the sliders 5 and 6 in one direction serving to interengage and couple the rows of fastener members to close the zippers 7 and 8 in the well known way, whereas movement in the other direction serves to disengage and uncouple these rows of fastener members in the well known way. The sliders 5 and 6 have the usual tabs or links 20 and 21, respectively, pivoted to the sliders so as to be swingable outwardly away from the zippers from the vertical positions shown in FIG. 3, lying substantially parallel to the zippers, to the substantially horizontal outwardly projecting position shown in FIG. 1, in which the operating U-shaped loop 22 of flexible material attached at its opposite ends to the slotted outer ends of the links 20 and 21, as indicated at 23, can be used handily for moving the sliders 5 and 6 up or down in closing or opening the zippers simultaneously, the operator inserting his forefinger in the loop 22 and placing his thumb over the link 21, and his middle finger under the link 20, to keep the two sliders 5 and 6 uniformly spaced throughout the major portion of the movement thereof. When closing the zippers, the loop 22 is finally pulled up as far as it will go and is looped over the top button 13 before it is entered in buttonhole 11, thereby preventing downward movement of sliders 5 and 6 and accordingly locking the zippers closed. The elongated cloth tabindicated at 24 in FIG. 1 is the usual tab with a buttonhole in its outer end to receive a button on the inside of the portion 10 near the waist 12, this tab being buttoned up usually before the fly is closed;

It is important that the zippers 7 and 8 be offset laterally with respect to one another, as best seen in FIG. 4,

so that zipper 7 has abutment with the front of the one stringer 18 of the rear zipper 8, while the zipper 8 has abutment with the back of the one stringer 16 of the front zipper 7, the overlapping relationship thus obtained giving substantially no greater over-all thickness in the fly portion with the two zippers than would be the case with the conventional single zipper. The trousers, therefore, appear just as neat with this contruction as with the old conventional one. There are cleats of generally rectangular form overlying the lower end of the zippers 7 nad 8, respectively, cleat 25 being fastened to stringers 16 on opposite sides of zipper 7, and cleat 26 being fastened to stringers 18 on opposite sides of zipper 8.

I These cleats keep the lower ends of the zippers from opening up and they also serve as stops for sliders 5 and 6, if and when said sliders are moved to the lower extremities of zippers 7 and 8, and, because the cleats add appreciable thickness and width to the zippers it is best to have the zippers, not only oflset laterally, as stated before, but also longitudinally with respect to one another as seen in FIG. 2, cleat 25 being spaced above the crotch 27 and cleat 26 a trifle below it. In that way, they are also not noticeable any more than would one cleat on a conventional single zipper.

The stringers 16 and 18, as seen in FIG. 4, are sewed along one side as indicated at 28 to one side portion 10 of the fly in overlapped relationship to one another, and along the other side as indicated at 29 again in overlapped relationship to one another.

In operation, the present improved double zippered garment has substantially the same outward appearance as the old conventional single zippered garment and is adapted to be opened and closed as easily, if not more easily as a result of a sharing between the two sliders 5 and 6 of the load imposed on the two zippers 7 and 8. While it is believed that the majority of purchasers of these garments will prefer to leave the zipper equipment as it is furnished and use the flexible loop 22 in the manner shown in FIG. 3, so that the loop serves the double purpose of facilitating the simultaneous operation of the two sliders 5 and .6 up and down, and serves also as a means of holding the sliders 5 and 6 in their upper extreme position against any likelihood of moving downwardly, thereby locking the zippers 7 and 8 closed, some individuals may prefer to cut loop 22 off the links 20 and 2.1 and thereby make the two sliders 5 and 6 independently operable, while still providing double closing security with both zippers 7 and 8 functioning their intended purpose together. Still others may, after separating the two sliders for separate operation, prefer to use only the one slider 5 for most of the time, if not always, while leaving the other slider 6 in its lower extreme position, regarding this second zipper 8 merely as a reserve zipper to be used only if and when something happens to zipper 7 interfering with its proper functioning. If zipper 7 breaks, it can be removed by cutting with scissors or razor blade along the stringers 16, leaving zipper 8 to be used alone from that time on. It is not apparent from the outside if zipper 7 is left opened when zipper 8 is closed, or vice versa. The parallel spaced vertical relationship of the zippers 7 and 8 taken together with the longitudinal offset relationship makes the over all thickness of the garment in the fly portion substantially the same with the double zipper equipment as with the ordinary single zipper.

While I have disclosed my invention as applied to mens trousers, it is also applicable to womens skirts, and it should be evident from looking at FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, and more particularly the portion of FIG. 1 above the section line 4-4, why this is true, namely, because in the womans garment the openable zippered portion is again at the waist, whether the opening be at the back or at one side, or, in some instances, in the front.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a supplemental closure for the waist portion of a garment including a flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at one side of the opening, and a companion flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion thereof secured to the garment at the opposite side of the opening, both of said strips being substantially coextensive with the length of the opening, a second flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said one side of the opening behind and in laterally offset, substantially parallel overlapping relationship to the first flexible strip, and a second companion flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said opposite side of the opening behind and in laterally offset, substantially parallel, overlapping relationship to the first mentioned companion flexible strip, the two last mentioned strips being also substantially coextensive with the length of the opening like the two first mentioned strips,

complementary slide type fasteners onthe free edges of the first and second mentioned pairs of strips to secure them in closed condition, and individual sliders slidable on the two sets of fasteners.

2. A supplemental closure for a garment as set forth in claim 1 wherein the garment has a button on the waist portion on one side of the opening cooperating with a buttonhole on the waist portion on the opposite side of the opening to receive the button, the structure including a finger receiving loop connected to the two silders to permit simultaneous operation thereof in either direction with respect to the fasteners, the loop in the extreme closed position of the sliders being engageable over the button to hold the closures in their closed extreme position, the loop being secured on the button when the button is entered in the buttonhole.

3. In a supplemental closure for the waist portion of a garment including a flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at one side of the opening, and a companion flexible stii'p having one longitudinal edge portion thereof secured to the garment at the opposite side of the opening, both of said strips being substantially coextensive with the length of the opening, a second flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said one side of the opening behind and in laterally offset, substantially parallel overlapping relationship to the first flexible strip, and a second companion flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said opposite side of the opening behind and in laterally offset, substantially parallel overlapping relationship to the first mentioned companion flexible strip, the two last mentioned strips being also substantially coextensive with the length of the opening like the two first mentioned strips, complementary slide type fasteners on the free edges of the first and second mentioned pairs of strips to secure them in closed condition, end fasteners for each slide fastener means cross-connecting the adjacent ends of the flexible strips of each set separately and serving as stops for the sliders operating on the fasteners of each set, the fasteners of one set, besides being offset laterally with respect to the fasteners of the other set, being offset longitudinally at the ends where the end fasteners are located, and individual sliders slidable on the two sets of fasteners.

4. A supplemental closure for a garment as set forth in claim 4 wherein the garment has a button on the waist portion on one side of the opening cooperating with a buttonhole on the waist portion on the opposite side of the opening to receive the button, the structure including a finger operable loop connected to the two sliders to permit simultaneous operation thereof in either direction with respect to the fasteners, the loop in the extreme closed position of the sliders being engageable over the button to hold the zippers in their closed extreme position, the loop being secured on the button when the button is entered in the buttonhole.

5. In a supplemental closure for the fly opening in a pair of mens trousers having slide fastener means for closing said opening including a flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at one side of the opening, and a companion flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion thereof secured to the garment at the opposite side of the opening, both of said strips being substantially coextensive with the length of the opening, a second flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said one side of the opening behind and in substantially parallel overlapping relationship to the first flexible strip, and a second companion flexible strip having one longitudinal edge portion secured to the garment at said opposite side of the opening behind and in substantially parallel overlapping relationship to the first mentioned companion flexible strip, the two last mentioned strips being also substantially coextensive with the length of the opening like the two first mentioned strips, complementary slide type fasteners on the free edges of the first and second mentioned pairs of strips to secured them in closed condition, said pairs of strips and the complementary fasteners thereon being in laterally oifset substantially parallel relationship to one another, and individual sliders slidable on the two sets of fasteners.

6. A supplemental closure for a garment as set forth in claim 5 wherein the garment has a button on the waist portion on one side of the opening cooperating with a buttonhole on the waist portion on the opposite side of the opening to receive the button, the structure including a finger receiving loop connected to the two sliders to permit simultaneous operation thereof in either direction with respect to the fasteners, the loop in the extreme closed position of the sliders being engageable over the button to hold the closures in their closed extreme position, the loop being secured on the button when the button is entered into the buttonhole.

7. A supplemental closure for a garment as set forth in claim 5 wherein the end fasteners of one set, besides being offset laterally with respect to the end fasteners of the other set, are offset longitudinally at the lower ends of the two sets of fasteners where the end fasteners of each set are cross-connected, and said connection serving at limit stops for the sliders operating on the fasteners.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

